Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Process and form rise and converge in the cadenced paintings of Galen Frost Bernard, currently on display at BoBo Gallery in downtown Asheville. Treading the line between abstract and representational art, undulating masses of geometric shape, color and line churn into each other to create the impression of shantytowns built into precipitous environments.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Local artist/designer Alena Hennessy is packing her bags and heading to Portland,OR at the end of this month.

Hennessy's work poetically reflects a benevolent world where animals and nature cohabitant harmoniously. She incorporates her illustrations of flora and fauna onto apparel and accessories which are sold in boutiques nationally. Prints of her work are available through her website.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Harvest Records in West Asheville is currently exhibiting the photography and mixed media artwork of Leila Amiri. The variety of media Amiri uses runs the risk of appearing discordant, but her strong aesthetic point of view makes for a handsome and cohesive show. In one, a geometric line drawing meanders over a series of washed out monochromatic photos. In another, elaborate ink doodles that appear as embroidery, are rendered onto old linens. There are framed composites of twisted and braided hair, and small photographs (daguerreotypes?) that capture ghostly movements. Everything looks like it could have been found in an old attic, if it wasn't for the the contemporary details Amiri deftly applies to it all.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I was walking around downtown last night and this painting by Lucy Hunnicutt caught my eye. It was hanging in the window at The American Folk Art and Framing Gallery located at 64 Biltmore Ave.

Working with Grace Acrylic on Canvas with Collage Elements

To see more paintings by Lucy Hunnicutt and other Southern folk artists visit The American Folk Art Gallery at amerifolk.com. The gallery is a terrific resource for Southern folk painters and artisans.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Only two weeks remain of the Ray Johnson retrospective: BMC to NYC: The Tutelary Years of Ray Johnson (1943-1967), at The Black Mountain College Museum and Art Center in downtown Asheville.

On display are collages created in the '50s and '60s, which Johnson referred to as "moticos." They examine Johnson's love of words and puns, and thoughtful composition. He often reworked his collages after exhibiting them, and would sometimes cut them up for use in new collages. Over time, his work became increasingly self-referential, as he would collage advertisements and images of popular figures into earlier drawings. Much of the work has an irreverent tone, such as Action Jackson that references Jackson Pollock, the well-known abstract artist described in the media at that time as an "action painter."

Much of the work should be regarded as physical relics of actual art pieces. Johnson's postal performances, for example, had a lot to do with the actual mailing and receiving of letters and envelopes he created. With that action removed, the letters are now what remain of the original art piece. There are several on hand to check out in this exhibit, and even some that Johnson had created in 1943 — two years before he attended Black Mountain College.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Local Photographer Mike Belleme exhibits his photography at the Side Gallery in The Asheville Art Museum through June 18th.His epic landscapes are compelling, as is his candid documentarian style which captures the sublime beauty and grit of the shared human experience.Check out his website to see more. Be sure to click on the link to his blog!www.mikebelleme.com